The view from Youngstown State… and from McKenna Stephens and Todd Starkey

What the Youngstown State locker room had to say after KSU’s 55-44 victory over the Penguins Tuesday.

YSU head coach John Barnes

“We needed to take care of the ball. We had 15 turnovers (at halftime). Instead of being up by two, we could have been up 12 if you cut that in half.”

“That third quarter got away from us a little bit, and we didn’t have any firepower to catch up. I mean we really didn’t. We just couldn’t make shots. If you can’t make shots, it’s hard to win.”

YSU point guard Indiya Benjamin, who led the Penguins with 12 points and scored the 1,000th point of her career

“We were playing good defense, but we kind of relaxed a little bit (in the third quarter) and gave up some baskets. You can’t do that. We have to come out after halftime and keep it going the entire time. You can’t relax and have a letdown.”

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From McKenna Stephens, the Kent State graduate student forward who returned for a redshirt season after getting her public health degree in May.

“I’m having a blast. This team is really close. I was worried about what the freshman would think of me popping back, but they’ve taken it really well. I’m really close with a couple of them.”

From KSU head coach Todd Starkey, on a homecoming of sorts to YSU’s Begley Center

“My dad was a professor at Youngstown State for 30 years. I grew up shooting baskets in this gym. This is the first time I’ve ever coached here, and it feels a little strange.”

Starkey’s hometown is nearby Canfield, where he played high school basketball.